Ventilation hoods are an essential appliance for any commercial kitchen. However, range hoods also are popularly used in home kitchens. Even a smaller cooking area benefits from a ventilation system, which can keep out grease, contaminated vapors, and maintain a steady air pressure in a kitchen.

Though professional installation for range hoods is always a viable option, it is possible to set them up yourself. Here is a guide on how to install the ducts of a range hood:

  1. First, be sure that you are installing a hood with external ventilation. If your hood operates by internal ventilation, you do not need to set up ducts.
  2. Determine the length of vent pipe you will need to extend through the outside wall of your kitchen. This measurement will play an important role in your setup process.
  3. Be sure that your range hood is wide enough that it extends 3 inches on either edge of your stove.
  4. Purchase vent piping, pipe elbows, and a vent cap. Be sure that the vent pipe is 6 inches in diameter and matches the measurement you determined above, of the distance from your range location to the outside kitchen wall.
  5. Consult your manufacturer’s instruction manual to determine whether the ductwork is supposed to go into the wall behind the range hood, or up to the ceiling above the hood.
  6. Measure out the appropriate distance to fit your hood above your stovetop.
  7. Find the right spots to insert screws for the range ...

learn more